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Add your name to these public comments to be submitted to Michigan state agencies by signing this petition.

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Last June, the preliminary Line 5 Alternatives Study was released, and more than 23,000 people submitted their comment calling for the shutdown of Line 5 as the only alternative that will truly protect the Great Lakes from an oil spill. The revised and final Alternatives Study has just been released, which has triggered a second comment period that is now open.

Prevent a Catastrophic Great Lakes Oil Spill

The deadline for public comments is December 19, 2017, so please sign on and submit your comment today via this online form. Let's prevent a devastating oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac.

I am writing to submit my official comment in response to the State of Michigan’s Line 5 final alternatives analysis dated October 26 and released on November 20. I am deeply disappointed in this final analysis. A draft alternatives report released in June was riddled with errors and omissions, and the final report contains most of the same failures.

This report fails to meet its overall purpose of “providing the State of Michigan and other interested parties with an independent, comprehensive analysis of alternatives to the existing Straits Pipelines, and the extent to which each alternative promotes the public health, safety, and welfare and protects the public trust resources of the Great Lakes.”

It lacks credibility because its author is Dynamic Risk, a firm with ties to Enbridge, the Canadian energy transport company that owns Line 5. Even worse, it absurdly underestimates the impact of a spill and ignores a viable alternative to Line 5 – use of existing infrastructure. An independent expert review in December 2015 documented the practicality of this alternative.

Decommissioning Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac is the only alternative that will prevent an oil spill with catastrophic consequences for the Great Lakes and the State of Michigan. Moreover, this final alternative report affirms that decommissioning is a feasible option with zero risks to the Great Lakes and minimal economic impacts to Michigan customers (e.g., two cents more at the gas pump and roughly 10 to 25 cents more for propane in the Upper Peninsula).

It is time for the state to reject the flawed study, exercise its affirmative legal duty as public trustee of the Great Lakes and bottomlands, and shut down Line 5. The state should use that authority to revoke the 1953 easement agreement that Enbridge has consistently violated.

The risk of a spill is too great to allow Line 5 to continue to operate in the Great Lakes. Our state government should not put the Great Lakes, our economy, health, drinking water, fisheries, and way of life at risk from a catastrophic oil spill any longer. In fact, on November 16, the Coast Guard Coast commandant testified again to Congress that his agency is not prepared to clean up a large-scale pipeline oil spill in the Great Lakes.

I urge you to act as public trustees of our waters and bottomlands, enforce the easement in light of Enbridge’s ongoing violations, and begin the process of decommissioning Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac to protect the Great Lakes from a catastrophic oil spill. The State of Michigan has a legal duty to take this enforcement action. Enbridge’s ongoing violations cannot be remedied. It is time for the state to act decisively and with urgency.

Specifically, the draft report on alternatives to Line 5 in the Mackinac Straits:

Fails to follow the recommendations and standards outlined in the Michigan Petroleum Pipeline Task Force Report, which resulted from a process created by the governor and co-chaired by the attorney general, and therefore cannot be used by the State of Michigan “in making decisions about the future of the Straits Pipelines.”

Neglects to provide the state with an independent, fair analysis of the alternatives to Line 5 as required by the Task Force Report. This final report remains biased toward allowing Line 5 to continue to operate and/or allowing Enbridge to build new oil infrastructure in the Straits of Mackinac and further expand its operations. That bias grows out of past, and potentially future, business relationships between Enbridge and the report’s authors.

Fails to analyze existing pipeline infrastructure as an alternative to Line 5 in the Straits, which the state required Dynamic Risk to analyze, and leaving it out conflicts with Task Force recommendation 3 (b). It is unacceptable that the contractor eliminated this alternative without any analysis. The 1953 easement granted with strict conditions by the state to Enbridge does not guarantee transport of 540,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and natural gas liquids. In fact, the 1953 MPSC Order states 300,000 bpd, which means Enbridge is currently operating Line 5 at 80 percent over design capacity.

Fails to analyze new evidence disclosed by Enbridge affecting the pipeline’s integrity, including external corrosion, 48 bare metal spots caused by the installation of screw anchors, compromised cathodic protection, and historic excessive pipeline spans greater than the 75-feet limit (including a 286-foot span that was unsupported for years), as required by the legal operating agreement with the State of Michigan. Dynamic Risk’s rationale, in part, is that "it would be inappropriate to speculate on any of the above aspects of the coating condition."

Fails to consider tribal sovereign treaty rights and feedback on the basis that Dynamic Risk was not a party to tribal and state consultations, which is an unacceptable dismissal of input by a key stakeholder.

Grossly underestimates the total economic spill costs at between $147 million and $310 million, when Enbridge’s cleanup costs of its 2010 Line 6B pipeline oil spill along a 40-mile stretch of the Kalamazoo River cost more than $1.2 billion.

Overestimates an impact to propane supply, greatly exceeding what independent experts have determined would be necessary to provide the Upper Peninsula’s Rapid River facility with an alternative supply. The flawed report finds that up to 35 railcars per week or 15 truckloads per day would be necessary, while another study found it would take only one railcar or 3 - 4 truckloads per day to replace the Line 5 propane supply to the U.P.

Continues to show an unfair bias towards building a tunneled pipeline in the Mackinac Straits. The report estimates a much lower cost for a tunnel than other estimates for this type of infrastructure; it fails to consider the risk of a spill to the Great Lakes, rivers and streams from other portions of the 64-year-old pipeline if the Straits portion were rebuilt. Dynamic Risk prefers new pipelines, which was evident when the firm aggressively promoted building a tunnel in its proposal to do this report, and its analysis is deeply flawed.

The line 5 tunnel needs to be decommissioned in the Straights of Mackinac. This is the only way to prevent catastrophic consequences for the Great Lakes. The existing draft report released November 20th fails to consider tribal sovereign treaty rights and feedback which is simply unacceptable. The cost of a potential spill would be economically and environmentally catastrophic to the region. Not just the damage to the waters of the great lakes but the potential loss in revenue from tourism should also be considered. The State of Michigan and the United States Coast Guard are not prepared to clean up a large scale pipeline oil spill in the great lakes. Enbridge’s ongoing violations cannot be remedied – its time for the State to act now in order to protect its most important natural resource.

JOIN ME and tell the State of Michigan the only acceptable way to protect the Great Lakes is to SHUTDOWN LINE 5.

Lauren Brewer signed
2017-12-04 10:25:45 -0500

This land doesn’t belong to you and not only are you putting the land and surrounding water at risk of exposure to oil spills and other toxins, you’re also actively encroaching upon Native rights and ignoring the voices of not only those Natives, but of countless protestors. Shut Down Line 5.

Toby Dolinka signed
2017-12-04 10:22:49 -0500

The will of the people and the welfare of our environment must take front row center concern. Snyder is not thinking of the welfare of either.

Keli Derfus signed
2017-12-04 10:21:33 -0500

As a Great Lakes resident with children, this whole issue concerns me. I want to know that my kids and grandkids will have a clean fresh water system to sustain them. Our planet is not replaceable.

Patricia Lyndale signed
2017-12-04 10:15:21 -0500

Amy Kruske signed
2017-12-04 10:14:34 -0500

Please keep the Great Lakes the National Treasure that they are for us and for future generations. An oil leak would be beyond tragic and is completely avoidable. Shut down Line 5!!

JOIN ME and tell the State of Michigan the only acceptable way to protect the Great Lakes is to SHUTDOWN LINE 5.

Andrea Pierce signed
2017-12-04 10:12:33 -0500

This is a stupid idea, Snyder!! The People of Michigan will not let you make another backroom deal that will affect our water. If you need to build something, go fix FLINT!!! Remember them? The City YOU poisoned!!!

Karen Comella signed
2017-12-04 10:09:26 -0500

How long must this sham go on??? The only parties that think continuing to transport oil directly through the Great Lakes are those employed by the Oil industry…ie. Those who will profit. The alternative routes outlined by FLOW accommodate the needs of the UP. The fact that we are STILL discussing this after years of investigation and documented proof of the risks of this pipeline demonstrates how blatantly corrupt, illegal, and immoral the process and players are. I have tried to remain respectful of the parties involved with this decision, but it is beyond that now. You do not deserve respect. You are rapists and thieves, and we will fight with everything we have. And even if we don’t win, I rest assured that you will burn in hell.

Harold Smith signed
2017-12-04 10:06:07 -0500

Phyllis Wahlberg signed
2017-12-04 10:04:18 -0500

We CANNOT afford to take a chance at this point. It’s too likely for a break.

Brian Trausch signed
2017-12-04 10:04:11 -0500

I have lived on Lake Michigan my whole life. I take pride in the beautiful lake and use it for recreation and relaxation. It would be a travesty to see the Line 5 succumb to the fate of other oil pipelines that leak or burst contaminating the fragile environments which they run through. Far too many people depend on the Great Lakes and Lake Michigan in general to tempt fate again with such a risky exploit. Please decommission the Line 5 so that we do not have to constantly worry for an impending doom.

JOIN ME and tell the State of Michigan the only acceptable way to protect the Great Lakes is to SHUTDOWN LINE 5.

James Weidman signed
2017-12-04 10:01:56 -0500

What the Governor did by signing the recent agreement with Enbridge, should be tested for be unconstitutional. He has again taken his power over the line and certainly abused it. This agreement has to be rescinded and the will of the people to close down Line 5 has to be followed. Thank you for allowing me to comment.

Robert Breen signed
2017-12-04 09:57:27 -0500

Who do these comments go to? Regardless….the pipeline is owned by the same Canadian company that didn’t know how to shut off the oil when their pipeline broke along the Kalamazoo River. Being they haven’t changed a bit since then that spill and the ignorance of how to deal with it in and of itself should warrant shutting down all of their lines. Obviously that’s not feasible however they already lied about the condition of line 5. What’s next.